Kitchener's Mixed-Use Corridor Strategy

[Spokes]

They've posted info for both the Victoria South and King East Mixed Use Corridors - http://kitchener.ca/en/businessinkit..._corridors.asp

Heres some stuff for King East: http://kitchener.ca/en/businessinkit...e_corridor.asp

[UrbanWaterloo]

VICTORIA STREET SOUTH MIXED USE CORRIDOR CITY-INITIATED ZONE CHANGE – ZC09/07/COK/HH
REPORT TO: Development & Technical Services Committee
DATE OF REPORT: May 10, 2010 | DATE OF MEETING: June 7, 2010
SUBMITTED BY: Alain Pinard, Interim Director of Planning
PREPARED BY: Heather Holbrook, Planner (Urban Design)
REPORT NO.: DTS-10-076



RECOMMENDATION: That City-initiated Zone Change application ZC 09/07/COK/HH being an amendment to Schedules 73 and 74 of Appendix A, sections 157, 291, 398, 401 and 402 of Appendix C and sections 134, 398, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525 and 526 of Appendix D of By-Law Number 85-1 as they pertain to the Victoria Street South Mixed Use Corridor for the purpose of changing the zoning from various zone classifications to Mixed Use Corridor MU-1 and MU-2 zones with and without site specific special provisions applying to these lands, be approved, in the form shown in the attached “Proposed By-Law” dated April 30, 2010 attached as Appendix A to Report DTS-10-076.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In 2001 Council approved Official Plan Amendment No. 36 to implement a new commercial policy structure. This change introduced the ‘Mixed Use Corridor’ land use designation to lands in seven corridors located on or near major transit routes near Downtown. Following the introduction of the Mixed Use Corridor land use designation, Council approved an Urban Design Brief for the Mixed Use Corridors. In September 2008 Council approved a Zone Change that introduced three new Mixed Use Corridor zones intended to be implemented throughout the corridors. Since the new zones were created Council has approved zone changes to implement the Mixed Use Corridor Zones along King Street West and Queen Street South respectively. Staff are now recommending that the Mixed Use Corridor zones be applied to lands in the Victoria Street South Mixed Use Corridor through Zone Change ZC09/07/COK/HH. Introduction of new special provisions and revisions to existing special provisions are also proposed as part of the Zone Change. The proposed zoning is a result of an extensive planning evaluation and public consultation process.

[smably]

Good news: the Victoria South rezoning was approved unanimously at last night's committee meeting after a brief staff presentation.

[Spokes]

Good news: the Victoria South rezoning was approved unanimously at last night's committee meeting after a brief staff presentation.

Excellent! Victoria south came and went without very much notice, and now King East is being discussed. Things are picking up speed. Now we just need to see developments hapen under the new zoning.

[Spokes]

Kitchener's DTS Committee will be voting on the King St. East section on Monday August 23.

Council Doc: http://kitchener.ca/en/businessinkit...ningreport.pdf

[Spokes]

The King St. East section was approved by DTS and will be approved by council tonight.

[.FLH.]

Found this interesting...

Gateways to downtown to become more urban
Tue Dec 14 2010 | Terry Pender, Record Staff | http://www.therecord.com/news/local/...ome-more-urban

KITCHENER — The main approaches to downtown will, over time, become more urban with higher buildings close to the sidewalks and fewer car-oriented development.

Last month, city councillors approved a wholesale change in the land-use regulations and zoning for King Street East from Cedar Street to Dixon Street.

King Street West, Queen Street South, Victoria Street South and now King East have all officially become what urban planners call mixed-use corridors. The zoning and land-use regulations for Victoria Street North will be changed early next year.

Under these changes no gas stations, no drive-thru restaurants, no car dealerships and no car-repair shops are allowed. Surface-parking lots must be located behind buildings, which are built out to the street.

Fewer parking places are required for new residential developments because the areas are well served by public transit and within walking distance of many shops. The number of residential units allowed on single parcels of land will be increased in many cases.

The city’s Official Plan, a massive document that governs all land-use in Kitchener, was amended to put these changes into effect on Nov. 5 for King Street East.

“It’s a different package of uses and changes to where we direct new buildings to go on the site,” Alain Pinnard, the city’s director of planning, said.

The number of parking spaces required to support a development in these mix-use corridors can be reduced by up to 30 per cent from current standards.

These major approaches to the downtown were slated for more high density development by city planners. But they found the zoning bylaws allowed for car-oriented developments and strip malls that need a lot of surface parking.

“These new zones allow a broader range of commercial uses, allow a mixture of uses — commercial, institutional and residential,” Pinnard said.

New car-oriented businesses will not be allowed in these mixed-use corridors, but the current ones are grandfathered in.

At King and Betzner streets is an infill development called The Betzner Brownstones. That is an example of the type of new residential construction city planners want to see in the King Street East mixed-use corridor.

“These new zoning regulations, we hope, are going to make it easier for people to do that sort of development,” Pinnard said. “These corridors are really the lead-in to our downtown. They are all well served by transit and will be even better served by rapid transit if it materializes.”

Some parcels of land on the approaches to the downtown are dominated by surface parking lots and strip malls. These are among the dominant land-uses along Victoria Street North and during the first three months of next year city planners will put in place new zoning regulations for the fifth and final mixed-use corridor.

“They just make sense. They really have all the attributes that are necessary to create the type of urban environment that some people want to live in and want to see,” Pinnard said.

Just after the city established this new mixed-use corridor a major real estate deal was completed. Fusion Homes of Guelph bought the entire block bounded by King, Cameron, Charles and Madison streets.

It is planning a major, mixed-use development with at least 250 residential units in two apartment buildings and townhouses.

One of the best known businesses on this stretch of roadway is Gascho Automotive Limited at 481 King St. East. It has been in that location since 1947.

Dave Gascho, the current owner of the repair shop and used-car lot, is the third generation of Gascho men to own and operate the business.

“My plans are to relocate,” he said.

Gascho said he has a two-year lease with the new owners and plans to relocate the business to another location somewhere in Kitchener-Waterloo.

“My dad and my uncle followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and I started working here in January of 1980,” Gascho said.

This is not the first time the land under the family-owned business was sold to a developer. Gascho’s father and uncle sold the property to a developer in 1989 and leased back the site.

“That developer went bankrupt and I ended up buying the place back from the bank in 1992.”

“And now I have sold it to another developer, who has similar plans, the scope of the project is similar, the concept is the same,” Gascho said.

[benjaminbach]

What do you think of the plans for the Victoria Street North corridor?

Map and zoning info here: http://www.kitchener.ca/en/businessi...e_Corridor.asp

I was just looking through the Design Brief that Kitchener has released for the mixed use corridors (http://www.kitchener.ca/en/businessi...f_final_sm.pdf - this area starts on pg 30) and if the area is built up according to city wishes, there will be several new condo developments in the area, from large projects like 30-40 Margaret (outside of the Mixed Use Corridor, but still in the neighbourhood) to smaller projects like what Momentum is building in Waterloo.

What do you think?

[benjaminbach]

As info, the City has now approved the Victoria Street N zone change

[mpd618]

Something I just noticed on Kitchener's page on mixed-use corridors:

NEW Mixed Use Corridor

Recently the city identified an eighth mixed-use corridor located along Fischer Hallman Road. The city is currently in the process of preparing an urban design brief for the Fischer Hallman mixed-use corridor.

I was intrigued at the potential for retrofitting existing suburbs, though it may be more likely for the area near Huron Road, i.e. greenfield. Anyone know more?

[Lugnut]

Something I just noticed on Kitchener's page on mixed-use corridors:

I was intrigued at the potential for retrofitting existing suburbs, though it may be more likely for the area near Huron Road, i.e. greenfield. Anyone know more?

That'll be very interesting as to where they make it.

I always thought the area around Williamsburg/Max Becker could be a nice mixed use "village" the way they did Belmont and Lancaster.

[BSLO]

Judging by the map on the City of Kitchener's website, it looks like it runs (for the most part) from Bleams Road to Huron Road. Considering that that stretch is essentially completely undeveloped, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

[markster]

It was always in the plan to do an "urban" development in that field down there. I suppose this is trying to enshrine it even further. Unless the zoning is particularly restrictive (in forcing "urban" development), it will be an uphill battle.

[mpd618]

It was always in the plan to do an "urban" development in that field down there. I suppose this is trying to enshrine it even further. Unless the zoning is particularly restrictive (in forcing "urban" development), it will be an uphill battle.

The three mixed-use zone categories are essentially form-based codes, and they are pretty urban in what they require of buildings. Look them up on the city's mixed-use corridor page to see the setbacks and frontage requirements.